2009 NATIONAL SIGNING DAY PRESS CONFERENCEBaylor Head Coach Art Briles

Opening Statement...
"We have some good football players across the board and we filled all the needs we felt needed to be filled. We are extremely pumped about this class. The reason why I've felt we were able to get such a good class is because of the way our players played on the field this past fall. I think the image they projected nationally, across the southwest in particular, as an excited football team, a team that played with passion, with great effort and great confidence did a lot in allowing us to recruit a bunch of these great athletes.

"We've stepped it up; we're looking for men because we're playing in the Big 12 and it's a man's league. And they have to be people that dominate on the football field and we we're very blessed to get these guys on campus.

"Recruiting is hustling; that's all it is. You go out and work and next thing you know, you get good football players; you're going to get beat on some and that's just the way it goes. Our coaches got out and hustled and they worked doing the things that had to be done to get us opportunities to have great football players at Baylor. It's a team effort and I'm proud to be a part of it. We're excited and pumped; it's a great day to be a Baylor bear.

"Our new facility is a great help, it's nice to be on campus. It's the best thing that ever happened for our student athletes, and it's the way it's supposed to be. So we're excited to be on the steps to get on the same level as other people. We have the location, we have the means, and we have the energy to be a dominant player in the Big 12 and that's what we're going to be. We're on the path.

"Our guys on campus are working tirelessly to begin the 2009 season. We're extremely excited about what's coming up in the fall and hopefully a lot of these guys won't have to contribute because we do have guys ready to go."

On the benefit of developing relationships with high school coaches in Texas...
"The thing that has helped us over the last couple of years is the way that they (the NCAA) have limited the way that coaches can recruit nationally. A lot of these out of state coaches try to come into this state and now it is harder for them to build these relationships with these high school coaches. That is really a benefit for us because I know a lot these guys personally; they know and us and they are comfortable with us. They know what they are getting when they send their kids here. That to me has really been a benefit for us in our situation that we have a relationship with nearly all of the coaches in the state of Texas."

On the importance of recruiting in the state of Texas...
"One of our goals is to win the state of Texas and that means beating (Texas) A&M, Texas and Texas Tech. Did we fall short this year? Yes. That is going to be something that we attack every year. We have to do that and we have to be very competitive because as great as everything is at Baylor right now, stroll through A&M, Tech and UT. They have good things going, too. It is not like a recruit goes somewhere and he thinks that Baylor has the best of everything. We would love for that to be the case but it's not. We have to show them different ideas, different trains of thought and different visions. That is what we have to say to get them on campus. We are always going to recruit the state of Texas. These are where the players are and we have to use that to our advantage with our central location."

On the factors that contribute to recruiting for Baylor...
"There are four factors that are really important in our recruiting: the way that we played on the field, Robert Griffin, Kaz (Kazadi) - our strength coach - and then the ability of our coaches to form relationships. I think that gives us an advantage over some universities because we understand what we have to do to prove it. Robert (Griffin), with his style of play and the way that he approaches the game with the vision and the discipline that he has, it rubs off on people. People like to be around folks that have a plan and that is one thing that Robert has; he has a plan everyday."

On the importance of recruiting multi-sport athletes...
"We look at them (multi-sport athletes), but that is not a deciding factor. What decides for us is if they produce on the field, if they are good at their position, if they lead and if they can maintain their composure on the field. We like guys that are able to excel in more than one sport because it shows that they can compete on a yearly basis."

On Phil Taylor...
"Phil went through all of the fall practices with us and worked the scout team. Now, he is actively in winter conditioning. He is doing a great job. He is about 6-foot-5 and 361 pounds. The thing about Phil is that he has tremendously light feet. He really is a guy that is gifted with his feet. The thing that you love about him from a personality standpoint is that he is just one of those guys that is easy to be around. Everybody likes him and gravitates to his endearing personality. He also has a side to him that makes him a great football player. He can play very aggressive, very intense and very physical. He has the ability to back up all of those qualities. That, in my opinion, is what gives him an opportunity to be a great player. He needs to be an impact player for us this fall upfront and that is what we are expecting him to do."

On the importance of the Simpson Center in the recruiting process...
"It is a whole different deal. It put us on a whole different level. You would hate to think that we wouldn't have gotten some of these guys if we wouldn't have had it, but the reality is it wouldn't have happened. We would have missed out on at least four to eight of these prospects. We are definitely thankful for having that facility and for the people that allowed it to happen because it made a huge difference in our recruiting process. Now, we are on campus and we are Baylor; we are there. We are all in one place and that really helps."

On recruiting the offensive line...
"Since last year when we started recruiting, it is always up front. We feel really good about the defensive side of the ball...We think that is going to be an outstanding defensive front. Offensively, these guys are good football players. We are always going to maintain our strength on both sides of the football upfront because that is where you win football games. Those are the hardest guys to find and our coaches did a good job of getting out and hustling those guys up to get them to Baylor."

On recruiting high school quarterbacks...
"The thing that is pretty consistent across the board especially at the 4A level on down is that a lot of times your better athletes at those high schools will be at the quarterback position. They might not be a true quarterback collegiately, but they are good high school athletes - they touch the ball, they are leaders and they have to maintain perfect composure. We feel like a lot of times that a lot of the better athletes are quarterbacks at the high school level. And, we try and project them at other positions, so that is kind of the mindset behind that."